Directory rack



Jan. 18, 1927.

J. R. DUMONT DIRECTORY RACK Filed Oct. 25. 1924 M M T0 N v;

A TTORNE Y with Patented Jan. 18, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT oF-ti-tz.

aosnrn R. DUMONT, or KANSAS envy MISSOURI, assrenoit T0 Manna rnnncns DUMONT, or KANSAS CITY, mssoum.

DIR CTORY BACK.

Application filed October 23, 1924. serial no. mats.

This invention relates to directory racks, especially designed for temporarily receiving cards and the like upon which is placed certain indicia. y

The invention is particularly applicable for use as a hotel rack in which guest cards may be contained and which may be removably attached to the rack in a convenient and expeditious manner, although it is equally applicable for use as a rack for supporting information cards for general business wherever credit cards, customers list or other indicia-containing cards are used.

The invention is primarily an improvement on my Patent N 0. 1,444,240, granted February 6, 1923, but the card supporting bars may be used with other racks if desired. The present invention relates to the card bar per se and the card bar in combination with the rack. In my former patent, card bars were employed which very closely resembled the construction of card bar shown in this application but with the card bars in the patented construction, the cards did not lie flat one upon the other but extended out at angles to the card rack, whereas, with my present invention, the cards do he flat approaching more nearly a vertical plane so the appearance of the rack as a whole when the cards are in it, is improved and the data is more easily read. Then too, with my present invention, I employ a flexible card bar which may be inserted into the rack by springing the middle portion or bowing it so that the distance in a straight line between the two ends will be reduced, the flexible bar having enough resiliency or spring to it to allow it to spring back into place in the rack when the pressure on the inetalbox is relieved and offset hooks on the card bar assist in allowing the cards to lie flat.

The novel construction and advantages of my invention will be apparent by reference to the following description in connection the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a rack constructed in accordance with my invention, parts being broken away to better illustrate other parts. V Fig. 2 is a longitudinal through part of the rack.

Fig. 3 is a detailed perspective view of one of the card supporting bars.

Fig. 4 is a like view of the card supporting sectional view bar opposite to that shown in Fig.3, and

Fig.5 is a top edge view of the card supporting bar, the dotted line position of the end showing how the bar is shortened by bending it in the middle. 7 I

The rack frame is shown as fcon sisting of a back platel' having channel side railsj2 and 3, top rail 4 and a bottom rail 5. Secured to the top rail d' is a bowed spring '6 secured intermediate its ends and adapted tobear' upon the top card bar as will be clearly apparent by reference to Fig. 1, said "top bar being partly broken away in Fig. 1.

The'card bars areshown as comprising channels 1 having portions of their'tops cut away to provide the end fingers 8 and '9 and the interi'nediate card receiving fingers 10. The card receiving fingersare otl'set with re spect to theweb portion 11 of each ba'ra nd the bottom flange 12 of the channel; is cut away intermed'iate 'itsends as for example 13 and 14, the ciit-away'portions'1'3 and 14 corresponding with portions 15 and 16 in the top edge of the channel so that the bar 7 may be flexed or bent intermediate its ends.

The offset hook-shaped members 10 are adapted to pass through openings 17 in the cards 18 so the cards will hang from the offset hook portions away from the main body portion of the bars and therefore they will be permitted to lie flat one upon the other. The bottom bar may rest upon the slide 19 supported by the hinged plate 20 and the hooking bars rest one upon the other, the

top bar being held down by the spring 6. I"

Vhen it is desired to take out a, bar, it may be grasped as shown in Fig. 1, the middle portion being bent or flexed so that the ends 8 and 9 may be sprung out of engagement with the channel side rails 2 and 3, then the old card can be removed and a new card can be hung on the offset hooks 10. The inwardly extending ends 8 and 9 which are part of the upper channel before it is cut away and the bottom flange 12 are of the same widths, each being slightly less than the widths of the channels 2 and 3 so that the bars can freely slide in the frame and when the bars are put in place, they rest one upon the other as shown.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the bars can readily be applied to and re moved from the rack and that they can be conveniently flexed so that they can be removed from the frame without disturbing any of the other bars and that inasmuch as the hooked portions are offset, the cards, where they are supported by the bars will stand out from the webs 11 of the bars so they can swing down flat against the cards beneath them. This improves the appearance of the rack and enables the cards to be more readily inspected. P

It will also be apparent that the flanges 9 and 12 are about equal to the depths of the grooves while the offset hooks have their free edges spaced from the back plate so that the hooks do not extend to the rear edges of the flanges 9 and 12. Therefore while the'flanges fill the grooves in which they slide, the hooks are spaced a sufficient distance from the rear panel to permit the cards to be put in place and removed while the card bars are in the rack.

What I claim and desire to secure by Lettors-Patent is l. A device'of the class described comprising a frame having grooved side guides and a back, transversecard carrying bars, each having ends engaging the guides and provided along its bottom edge with a horizontalrflange, rearwardly projecting offset hooks intermediate the ends of each bar at the edge opposite to that at which the flange is located, the lengths of the hooks being less than the depths of the grooves in the guide and less than the width of the flange so that the free ends of the hooks will not contact with the back of the frame, the

iooks constituting hangers for slotted cards i away from the back of the frame.

2. A card carrying bar for directory racks comprising a channel shaped member having flexible, fiat portions, said bar being provided with hooks for receiving cards having hight portions projecting from one side of said body portion and free ends projecting from the other side thereof, and flanges of greater width than the free ends of the hooks so that when the flanges a're'received in the directory rack, the free ends of the hooks will be spaced away from the rack to permit the card to be placed upon the hooks and removed therefrom. v

3. A card carrying bar for directory racks comprising a channel-shaped member of flexible material, the top and bottom flanges of whichare cut away at certain points in the length of the bar, the cutaway portion extending to the web of the channel-so that the intermediate portion of the channel may be flexed to introduce and remove the bar from the rack.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature.

JOSEPH R. DUMONT; 

